Overview

• ACEA and CLEPA leaders Ola Källenius and Matthias Zink wrote to Ursula von der Leyen saying the current 2030 and 2035 targets for cars and vans are no longer feasible under market and geopolitical conditions.
• They seek revised timelines for CO2 reduction and a recalibrated combustion‑engine phaseout, paired with long‑term, consistent demand incentives such as lower charging energy costs, purchase grants and tax relief.
• Industry arguments cite slowing battery‑electric adoption—BEVs accounted for 13.6% of EU registrations in 2024—and an uneven charging network of 882,020 public points concentrated in a few countries.
• The letter warns of near‑total dependence on Asian battery supply, pressure from U.S. tariffs and growing Chinese competition, alongside exposure to large CAFE fines if zero‑emission sales do not rise.
• Brussels has opened a strategic dialogue and earlier outlined a Plan of Action, but manufacturers and suppliers say progress is insufficient and are pressing for concrete decisions at the 12 September session.